Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 125–107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, May 7, head coach and guard Austin Reaves publicly criticized the referee during the game.
As a result of the Game 2 loss, the Lakers are now down 2-0 in the series. In addition to losing the win, the match proved to be highly contentious.
The tension centered on a discrepancy in the way the game was called, which showed a visible division among the Lakers’ leadership in dealing with the media. Lakers head coach JJ Redick caused a viral moment during a conversation with the reporter by claiming that “James gets the worst whistle of any star player” he has ever seen.
He also argued that James’ size and strength mask the mistakes he makes, noting that he has shot just five free throws in the first two games of the series.
“I’ve been with him for two years. The smaller guys, because they can be theatrical, tend to commit more fouls. And the bigger players who are built like LeBron, it’s hard for them,” he added.
Austin Reeves, who led the Lakers with 31 points, was also witnessed exchanging heated arguments with officials, especially referee John Goble.
According to Reeves, he was disrespected by Goble because he claimed the referee yelled in his face during a jump ball dispute. He also suggested that if he had adopted the same behavior towards a referee, he would have been given a technical foul.
On the contrary, LeBron James chose to remain calm rather than indulge in heated arguments. While speaking to the media, James said: “We’re down 2-0.”
When asked to comment on JJ Redick’s viral comments about his tenure, he replied, “I don’t know.”
Speaking of the prospects for the series, the Thunder remain undefeated in the 2026 postseason at 6-0 and have never lost a playoff series after taking a 2-0 lead.
Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday, May 9 in Los Angeles.
